The invention relates a support for use in connection with tape decks; devices used for recording and/or reproduction of information using a magnetic tape or similar vehicle. The invention relates more particularly to supports for devices associated with physically handling the tape passed a scanning device such as a recording or play-back head. These elements normally consist at least of a scanning device or recording/play-back head, tape guidance devices, tape, transportation devices and storage spools or reels for the tape along with associated driving devices.
Recording and reproduction devices, in particular those used for video magnetic tape recording and reproduction, require great precision and accuracy in the relative location of the various individual components with respect to each other. Particularly critical is the relative location of the scanning device, such as head wheels used for diagonal scanning techniques, and the guidance elements for the tape in the immediate vicinity of the head wheel or other magnetic reproduction/recording device. It is for this reason that the scanning devices in known apparatus of this type, are constructed as compactly as possible.
To ensure the highest quality reproduction or recording, the various tape storage, guidance, transportation and recording devices are maintained in precise physical relation to each other normally by mounting the entire system on as stable a base plate as possible. Relatively heavy and expensive forms of construction for the base plate are normally resorted to, in order to obtain the necessary dimensional stability.
It is a principal object of the instant invention to reduce the construction costs and weight of a support device by dividing the base plate into two sections; one section supporting the stored spools and a second section supporting the scanning device and tape guidance and transport devices. It has been found that the relative positioning of the tape scanning device to the tape guidance and transport devices is considerable more critical than the relative positioning and stability of the positioning of the scanning device and the storage spools. By dividing the base plate into two base plates, the base plate supporting the tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport devices may be heavily or more rigidly constructed than the base plate carrying the storage/delivery spools and its associated driving motors.
In the preferred embodiment, the smaller base plate containing the tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport devices is mounted in a recessed or cut out portion of a larger base plate supporting the storage/delivery spools. The two base plates are interconnected with bearings which restrain the transmission of torsional deforming forces from the larger base plate carrying the storage/delivery spools, to the smaller base plate carrying the scanning, guidance, and transport devices
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being reallized and attained as pointed in the claims hereof.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in a construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.